The FHSAA is close to completing a deal to play football state championships at Pitbull Stadium

Negotiations are in the final stages to bring the state finals to South Florida

Courtesy of FIU

Welcome back to the 305.

Soon it will be Road to Miami for the 2024 Florida high school football state championships as one of the worst kept secrets is in the final stages of becoming official.

According to a Monday board meeting held by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), the association is close to completing a deal to play football state championships at Florida International University's newly renamed Pitbull Stadium.

"We are very close to signing a deal with FIU for football (state championships) 1A through 7A," FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon said in the final several minutes of the meeting's Day 2 session.

For the first time since the 2005 season, FIU's Pitbull Stadium will be the home of the FHSAA state championships in December, which is being projected for the dates between December 12-14 down in South Florida.

Back in early August, the stadium's naming rights were purchased by music artist Armando-Christian Pérez, famously known as Pitbull, in a $6-million agreement, which would include promotional activities along the way. Consider this as one big event checked off for Mr. 305 and the Panthers.

“Armando’s financial support is program-changing, but him providing a microphone to amplify FIU will be even more beneficial to growing our brand,” said FIU Director of Athletics Scott Carr in anews release back in August. “I couldn’t be more excited about our partnership, as this will take us to another level. We can now officially say: ‘Paws Up, Dale!’”

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Last year's state championships were held at Florida A&M's Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. The announcement last year was met by mixed reviews around the state as the state championships were held at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale in 2021-20222 before being moved to the Big Bend region of the state.

The Villages to host FHSAA Rural Division state championship game

When it comes down to where the FHSAA's Rural Division state title game will take place, a decision has already been made. Back on Aug. 21st, the association announced that The Villages Charter School's The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium will host the 2024 Rural Division state championships on December 6th.

With many of the state championship games involving South Florida schools, the potential move brings back the contests to a venue much closer to programs like Plantation American Heritage, Chaminade-Madonna, Miami Central, Miami Norland, Miami Northwestern and St. Thomas Aquinas.

The 20,000-seat stadium is where Florida International has played its games since 1995 and provides ample seating for the state championships. It was a dream come true for Pitbull in having a stadium bare his name in the city he grew up in as a kid.

“Renaming the stadium isn’t just about a name change Pitbull said back in August when FIU made the announcement. “It’s about inspiring the community, creating opportunities and showing the world that with determination and a clear vision, anything is possible. We’re making history together, and we’re just getting started. Why dream when you can live it?”

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl